Refrigerator.



W. M. STBJOTHER.

RBFRIGERATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 20, 1910.

Patented Fb. 21, 1911.

A 2 SHEETS-'SHEET l 4 w MMWHMRHW Il v .v .".I mi 1 me Nmzms PE1 sns ca., WASHINGTON, n. c.

W. M. STROTHERx REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE zo. 1910.

2 BHEETSWSHEBT Z.

Effi/(Jak ril: :man: mnu co., umuunmn, a. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. STROTI-IER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR7 BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO AIR COOLING REFRIGERATING COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

REFRIGERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Feb. 21, 1911.

Application filed June 2U, 1910. Serial No, 567,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLILAM M. Srno'riinn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Refrigerator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in 'refrigerators adapted to receive provisions and eatablcs, and one of the main objects of the invention is to so construct a refrigerator of the character described that the interior thereof may be kept at a sufiiciently low temperature by the action of evaporation and the contents kept. therein, without the use of ice.

. Another object of the invention is to so construct the refrigerator that a large snrface is exposed upon which the evaporating action may take place.

Other objects and advantages will appear as hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings :MFigure 1 is a perspective view of one form of refrigerator embodying my invention, the top of the refrigerator being raised. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line rc3-:c3 Fig. 2.

The refrigerator comprises an outer casing having an open metallic frame formed of vertical corner posts 1 and cross bars 2. In the forni shown inthe drawings angle bars are used, the corner posts '1 extending below the cross bars 2 and having their lower ends turned back upon themselves forming legs 3 for supporting the refrigerator. The corner posts 1 are joined at their upper ends by means of U-shaped bars et secured thereto in anysuitable manner. The sides of the outer casing consist of wire screen 5 or other foraininous material secured to the frame in any suitable manner. On the inner side of each screen 5 is a sheet or layer of asbestos 6, the Lipper end of each screen 5 and sheet of asbestos 6 extending within the open end of the U-shaped bars 4, thereby securely holding the screen and asbestos together and furnishing the upper edge of the outer casing of the refrigerator. The bottom of the outer casing consists of a plurality of strips of metal 7 secured at their ends to the cross bars 2 and which support a wire screen 8 and sheet of asbestos 9. The outer of which engages two wire screens 13 and 14.

The central portion of screen 11 is spaced apart from the screen 13 a sutlicient distance to permit a sheet 15 of asbestos to be interposed therebetween. The top 10 is pro-vided with a central opening 1G for the purpose hereinafter specified.

The refrigerator is provided with an inner using 17 of sheet metal spaced apart from the outer casing and having its sides and bottom covered with sheets or layers of asbestos 18 and 19, respectively, and provided with a top or lid 20 hinged at 21 to the inner casing 17. The lid 20 consists of an inner sheet of metal 22 and an outer sheet of wire screen the cent 1al portion of the sheet of metal 22 being spaced apart a suliicient distance from the screen 23 to receive a sheet of asbestos 2li. The space 25 between the inner and outer casings of the refrigerator is filled with charcoal or similar substance of a porous nature and is closed at its upper end by means of a reservoir or trough 26 which extends entirely around the upper portion of the inner casing 17. The reservoir 26 is provided with perforations 27 eX- tending along each side of the bottom and arranged in such a manner that the contents of the reservoir will be delivered through the perforations 27 to the upper portion of the asbestos sheets 6 and 18.

The reservoir 26 is provided with a plurality of nipples 28 which are arranged with their upper ends flush with the top of the trough or reservoir 26 and having their lower ends extending a short distance below the reservoir and abutting against the upper end of a hollow tube or column 29 formed of screen circular in cross section and extending through the space 25 from the nipples 28 to the screen 8. Each tube 29 is surrounded with a layer or sheet of asbestos 30.

lith the construction above described a space 31 is leftbetween the lid 10 of the outer casing and the lid 20 of the inner casing. This space 31 is open to the outer air through opening 16 in the lid 10, also through nipples 28 and tubes 29 to the space below the refrigerator so that air may circalate freely through the tubes 29.

For the purpose of Ventilating the chamber 32 in which produce is stored, an air inlet pipe is provided which extends downwardlgT through the space 25, thence tlnough the screen S to the outer air, a suitable'valve 3i: being provided for the regulation of air, and an outlet pipe 85 is also provided in the upper portion of the casing 17 which extends outwardl7 through the outer easing to the. outer air and being provided with a regulating valve 36.

Supported on cross bars 237 is a drawer or receptacle 3b to reeeive any moisture that may drop from the refrigerator.- A deieetor 39 of sheet metal is secured to the underside of the cross bars 2 and extends downwardl7 and inwardly therefrom, so that the moisture from the walls of the refrigerator will be directed into the receptacle 3S.

The refrigerator is used in the following manner: Tater is poured into the reservoir or trough 2G which flows out through the perforations 27 onto the asbestos sheets G and 1S also through perforations -lO in the bottom of reservoir 26 onto the asbestos 30 surrounding the tubes 29. The asbestos readily absorbs the water and soon beeomes moist throughout. The sheets of asbestos G and 9, also the asbestos 3G surrounding the tubes, are all in Contact with theouter air and form evaporating surfaces from which the. moisture is taken up by the surrounding air. As the moisture is taken up from the sheets G, 9 and 30, moisture is drawn from the sheet 18 through the medium of the charcoal or other similar filler to the eX- posed surfaces of the asbestos into contact with the air, which action is accompanied with a consequent lowering of the temperature of the inner casing and chamber 32. Suitable shelves atl, 42 are provided in the Chamber 3L.-

The refrigerator as above described has a ver)7 large evaporating surface and produces a degree of coldness sutlieient to retain the produce therein in proper condition for a reasonable length of time.

that I Claim is 1. A refrigerator comprising an imperferate inner easing having a layer of absorbent material on the outer side thereof, an outer easing spaced apart from the inner easing consisting of a foramiilous outer wall and a laver of absorbent material on the inner side thereof, a porous filler between the sides and bot-tom of said outer and inner easing, and a reservoir surrounding said inner easing at the to-p thereof and within the outer easing, said reservoir having perforations in the bottom thereof arranged to deliver the con-A tents of said reservoir to the layers of absorbent. material on the outer and inner easing.

2. A refrigerz'itor comprising an inner casing having a layer of absorbent material on the outer sido thereof, an outer casing spaced apart from the inner easing Consisting of a foran'iinous outer wall and a layer of absorbent material on the inner side thereof, a reservoir surrounding said inner casingl at the top thereof, said reservoir having outletsl in the bottom thereof arranged to deliver the contents o-f said reservoir to the said layers of absorbent. material, tubes of foraminous material between said outer and inner casing extending from said reservoir to the bottom of said outer casing, a layer of absorbent material around said tubes, and a filler of porous material between said outer and inner easings below said reservoir in the space between said tubes.

3. A refrigerator comprising an imperferate inner casing having a lid hinged to the top thereof, a layer of absorbent material on the exterior of said inner casing, a foraminous outer casing spaced apart from the nner casing having alid hinged to the top thereof, a laver of porous material on the inner side of said outer casing, a reservoir surrounding said inner easing at the top thereof within the outer casing and having a plurality of outlet openings arranged in rows to deliver water to the top of the layers of porous material on the inner and outer casing, and a filler of porous material between said inner and outer casing.

4. A refrigerator comprising an inne-r casing having a lid hinged to the top thereof, a laver of absorbent material on the exterior of said inner easing, a foraminous outer casing spaced apart from the inner easing having a lid hinged to the top thereof, a layer of porous material on the inner side of said outer easing, a reservoir surrounding said inner easing at the top thereof having a pluralit7 of outlet openings, a plurality of nipples extending through the bottom of said reservoir, foraminous tubes extending from the lower end of said nipples to the foraminous bottom wall of the outer easing, a layer of porous material around each of said tubes, and a filler of porous material between said tubes.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at- Los Angeles, California, this 13th day of June 1910.

WILLIAM M. srnornnn.

In presence of- FRAN 1i L. A. GRAHAM, P. H. SI-IELTO'N. 

